How living in rural areas contributes to feelings of loneliness in diverse rural communities, and the role communities play in addressing social inequality

The aim of this PhD research is to understand how rural communities can be supported to develop effective initiatives to tackle loneliness in a manner that is inclusive and considerate of the diverse nature of rural communities in Wales.

To achieve this aim, the programme will comprise four research studies designed to address the following questions:

1. Who are the rural adult populations known to be at risk of loneliness in Wales? with consideration of diverse rural populations and regions (e.g., country, coastal, agricultural communities, Black and Ethnic Minorities etc)?

2. How do adult rural residents experience loneliness, and what are their needs in terms of community support? With specific consideration of identified populations from question 1.

3. How do existing examples of community initiatives contribute to overcoming rural loneliness? a. To what extent are these successful, sustainable and addressing the needs of the diverse rural population?

4. How can communities be supported to develop inclusive initiatives to overcome loneliness in their diverse populations?

Utilising a combination of a desk-based literature review and individual semi-structured interviews with rural adults experiencing loneliness the research will add to academic literature and build on the body of evidence that will provide a greater understanding of inequalities that pertain to loneliness in rural Wales.

Case study research focused on existing community initiatives will provide improved understanding of whether and how community initiatives are contributing to addressing loneliness with consideration of inclusivity relevant to their community diversity. This will enable the identification of models of best practice in community support that can be practically implemented or facilitated in rural areas to address issues of loneliness and will provide the opportunity to recognise where existing community support may be experiencing challenges in reaching hidden need with the aim of developing support mechanisms to improve social inclusion.